


Teaser:  The Paladin Saga

by umbraja



Series: Teasers [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate View of Canon History, Blades of Marmora, Canon compliant till season 4, Divergent AU, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Galra Keith, Humans are more than they seem, Insanity, Keith’s family, Keith’s tragic past, Lovecraftian, Magic is Real, Moral Ambiguity, Multi, Questionable Choices, Redemption, Revelations, Shiro’s gladiator days, Slow Burn, cosmic horror, grit - Freeform, this gets dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 09:33:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13232937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umbraja/pseuds/umbraja
Summary: The Paladins discover the universe is more complicated than anyone thought and Zarkon isn’t the biggest bad in it. Truths taken for granted are called into question, buried secrets come to light, relationships are tested, and Allura’s dream of peace may never come true as the prophecy of a War to Come threatens to tear reality apart. Will the Paladins be able to put aside their prejudice and own egos to do what it takes to stop the War? Will the Galra? Should they?Or - That insanely long fic where I fill in plot holes with eldritch horrors, tie up loose ends in ancient myths, and shed light on the “legend” of Voltron to show a much darker history than Allura would like to admit while also letting humans be a little badass for once.This is a teaser (kinda like a movie trailer) for a much longer fic idea I don't have time to finish. Leaving comments to ask for more might inspire me to continue. If you’re interested in finishing it yourself just ask.





	Teaser:  The Paladin Saga

**Author's Note:**

> The main story will deal mostly with the Paladins but there will be some flashbacks and side things dealing with Zarkon, both as a Paladin and as Emperor, to make him a more sympathetic villain and get the Galra side of the story. There will also be flashbacks into the Paladins’ pasts, particularly Keith and Shiro but I plan to work something in for all of them. 
> 
> This will be way more enjoyable if you have at least a loose grasp of pagan beliefs and mythologies, in particular: Norse, Gaelic, Native American, Voodoo, and Australian Aboriginal.

**_In the beginning there was Darkness. Dreaming. Time before time. When Gods walked and shadows sang._ **

Midnight stretched across an open sky. It was timeless. Primordial. A thing of legend and magic. The milky band that slithered across it wasn’t the galaxy’s edge but a serpent that chased the sun and would someday swallow the moon.

**_There was no boundary between what is and not. No limit to possibility. All things were one. Chaos reigned._ **

A cold wind blew over the sea of grass that covered low rolling hills, dark against the glittered sky. Fire flared for it, sending sparks to the heavens. Drums beat a primal rhythm, heartbeat of the world, as shadowed figures danced at the edge of its light. People dressed in animal skins with heavy, horned masks stomped near the fire, whooping and chanting verses of lost lore.

**_Then the Gods made their Laws. Sang songs of Creation and breathed life into the Dark. Birthed the stars._ **

Tall, heavy stones stood like sentries on the hill beyond the fire, a massive ring around its light. Two figures stood watching from the stones. Their features were shadowed in the dark but starlight shone softly on smooth metal, intricate armor with glowing strips of soft blue light. People not of this place.

**_It was the beginning of Time. The Dream’s End. Reality was made. The Gods demanded a price to be paid._ **

Foreign eyes watched shadows dance around the pyre and found it unsettling. The screams had long since died but they could still see burning lumps around the pole in the fire’s center.

“You’re just going to agree to this?” the taller man narrowed yellow eyes at the other, his voice a low growl. 

“We don’t have a choice,” the lighter one held up a hand and shook his head, an attempt to stop the argument.

“They sacrifice people. _People_. To that. . . thing,” the tall one jabbed a clawed finger toward the fire with a hiss.

“I know. I saw. But what can we do?” the other shrugged with a sigh, long ears drooping slightly in white hair.

“Voltro-” the tall one started but the other cut him off.

“They defeated Voltron. If we press they’ll attack.”

The tall one frowned, yellow eyes closed as he lifted a hand to press against the broad bridge of his purple nose. “The rift. It has power if you-” he started to argue but the other cut him off again.

“How is that any better than what they do?” he managed to say gently, the patience of old friends.

“It doesn’t demand sacrifices,” the tall one opened yellow eyes to glare.

“Doesn’t it?” the other asked in a tone that answered itself, implied an older argument between them, one they’d both tired of.

“Alfor. . .” the tall one sighed, almost a plea.

“We don’t need all the universe, old friend,” Alfor smiled and put a hand on the other’s broad shoulder. “They’ve agreed to let us go and stay to their part of it if we leave them alone.”

“You would abandon these people?” the tall one furrowed his brow, voice almost accusing as he shrugged off the hand.

“They obviously don’t want our help,” Alfor shrugged again. “They worship that thing.”

“They are fools,” the tall one frowned. Alfor gave him a pitying smile and put a hand on his shoulder again.

“You can’t save everyone, Zarkon.” 

**_Many ages have passed. Now the songs are forgotten. Old Gods forsaken._ **

The foreigners made their packt and left, back to the sea of stars from whence they came. In the dark of that distant sky a war tore the foreigners apart. They made their own sacrifices. Paid their price to Gods they denied for power they did not understand. 

Alfor paid with his life. 

Zarkon gave his soul.

The once proud and just Paladins fell to the cruel hands of Fate and Time turned the mighty Voltron to a legend no more real than the myths danced around that strange pyre. Centuries passed to milenia. Worlds fell one by one to the obsession of a broken heart.

The pyre burned in the wilderness they promised not to touch long after their fall but Time ends all things. Ash gave way to grass and even the stones worn with age. Their meaning lost. The worlds turned. Other people came and went not knowing where they stood.

**_But they are not lost. The songs live on in dreams of Heroes. And Gods never die. They only slumber._ **

Far across the endless void the old songs cried out to new Heroes. New Paladins to take up the sacred mantle. Five Children of Earth answered. They knew not what they did.

They took the power. That eldritch magic their predecessors did not understand. These new Heroes understood it even less. They used it, like those that came before, to fight a war they thought just. And maybe it was. But power cares not for justice. The old songs do not sing for such petty things. They are for the War to Come. When Old Gods wake and the great serpent swallows the moon.

**_So the cycles turn. What was will be again._ **

Footsteps echoed in the dark. Slow. Searching. Cautious. Joined by others. Somewhere water dripped a languid meter to the eternal night of this ancient cave. Red light spilled into the tunnel, flickering flame that hovered over a blackened, burn scarred hand half covered in fingerless gloves.

“Are you sure this is the right way?” A boy in blue and white armor asked doubtfully as he stepped into the fire’s light.

“I can feel it,” the black suited flame bearer answered with a subtle nod, not moving midnight eyes from the shadows around them, dark tail flicking irritably behind him.

“Okay. You’ve said that. But. . . are you sure this is right?” a much larger boy in yellow shuffled around the corner to stand with the others. “I mean, not to doubt your instincts, Keith, but. . .” he trailed off staring at the deeper dark ahead. “This place gives me the creeps,” he finished in a breathless whisper.

“You’re such a big baby, Hunk” a green armored hand slapped the yellow one’s back as the much smaller girl slipped by, a triangle of floating robotics casting white light over her shoulder as she stepped curiously beyond the red fire. “It’s just a cave,” the girl huffed, nudging her glasses up her nose as she bent over an intricate formation of calcified rock.

“Pige, don’t wander off,” a deeper voice called as a broad shouldered man stepped up to the group, robotic hand casting its own purple glow against the black of his armor. Behind him a dark skinned beauty drifted cyan eyes over the glittering sparkle their lights cast on the walls of cave around them.

“We have been walking for some time now,” the woman gave an almost apologetic smile to the whole group.

“Yeah. What she said,” the blue one shot the woman a sparkling grin then shook his head and draped an arm over the flame bearer’s shoulders. “C’mon, buddy. Admit it. You’re lost.”

Keith rolled his eyes with a sigh then ducked out from under the arm and turned on the other with a flat look. “Can’t you hear her, Lance?”

The Blue Paladin’s grin faltered for the question, eyes drifting to the shadows around them then he shook his head and pulled back up his smile. “You know I’ve always been better at talking than listening,” he shot finger guns and got multiples glares for it. 

“Coran,” the Black Paladin called into his helmet, watching the shadows with a tense frown.

“Shiro. Everything alright down there?” a dandy ginger answered on their vid com with good natured concern twitching his magnificent mustache.

“So far,” Shiro gave a slight nod. “Are you still picking up those readings?”

“Oh, yes, I beli-” Coran started to answer but was pushed aside by a rather eccentric and over large caterpillar.

“According to my calculations there is an 78% chance this is the reality in which you find what you need,” the caterpillar announced with a neurotic confidence.

“Wh-what’s the other 22%?” the Yellow Paladin asked from behind Shiro’s shoulder.

“Several possibilities though most result in the unraveling of time and space itself,” the caterpillar replied with uncanny calm for the statement.

“Thank you for that, Slav,” Shiro deadpanned with a polite frown.

“Hey. Guys,” Pidge called from farther in the dark. “I think you should see this.”

“What is it?” Hunk replied warily as they all walked toward her floating light that shone down on worn grooves carved into the cavern walls. Keith lifted the red flame to the rock and it burned brighter to show the line and curve of strangely familiar shapes. 

“These are just like the ones where we found Blue,” Lance breathed wide eyed and ran a hand over the carvings. He pouted slightly when they didn’t glow.

“There were carvings like this with Yellow too,” Hunk muttered beside him but didn’t touch.

“What do you think it mea-” Shiro started to ask but cut himself off with a sharp breath, flinching for the sudden flare of white light that briefly blinded them all.

Clinging shadows along the cavern wall seemed darker as their vision came back, stark contrast to the brilliant white light pouring from the lion carvings that glowed under the dark skinned beauty’s hand.

“Allura?” Shiro called to her softly, approaching with gentle caution for the dazed look in her wide eyes.

She blinked, once hard then three quick flutters before giving her head a tiny shake then looked up with a subtle frown pulling her hand from the glowing pattern to stare warily at thin fingers. When she lifted her palm from the rock it seemed to trigger a cascade of illumination down the cavern tunnel. Lines of white light to draw them further into the dark.

“Uuuhhmm. . . g-guys. We’re not. . .” Hunk glanced nervously between the others. Shiro watched Allura with concern as she stared down the lighted tunnel. Pidge smiled at the trailing lights in wonder. Lance looked uncertain but curious. Keith set his jaw with determination and drew the Marmora blade from his back into his free hand as he carried the flame into the lighted path. “Uuuh. . . Keith” Hunk called after him, drawing the other’s attention.

“It’s this way,” the flame bearer answered with certainty, not stopping.

“O-okay, man. But. What is that way?” Hunk gave Keith’s back a pleading look a moment then turned, glancing between the others as they each got over their own hesitation and followed the flame. “You can’t really be okay with this,” Hunk gave Shiro a worried stare once they were the only two left. Shiro frowned.

“We don’t have a choice,” he told the younger Paladin gently. “We can’t form Voltron without Red.”

Hunk fidgeted with a low whine then gave up in a sigh and called after the others, “Hey, don’t leave me behind!” as he trotted ahead to join them. 

Shiro lingered in the dark, at the edge of the light. Slowly he looked behind, stared into the abyss of shadow and tried to convince himself he didn’t hear the darkness breathe. Something sinister stared back with eyes unseen. He couldn’t shake the feel of it. The heavy wrongness of this place. Quiet whispers in cold air that hissed a forgotten tongue. No choice. The Black Paladin turned to the light and followed the others.

**_There is always a price for power._ **

Purple light cast a dull glow on distant stars. A holographic map hung spectral planets in the air. Tired yellow eyes surveyed their crumbling empire. He was alone. Always. For so long. Alone with the dark. Shadows shifted behind him. He saw their movement in the glare of the polished control panels around him. 

“I do not fear you,” the old Emperor told the dark with a quiet frown. 

It did not listen.

“I know my death,” Zarkon continued, turning to face the Shadow. He had to tilt his chin slightly up to meet the glowing red gaze of the massive beast that loomed threateningly over him. A thing of darkness. Merciless eyes stared out from deep inside the bleached bone of some toothy, monster’s skull. Horns arched from ragged black fur, one set curled round the side of the beast’s skull, another curved backward over the head. Both were brown and ruddy. It wore the dark like a cloak. Shadows clung to it in tattered ribbons that waved languidly with the steady ebb and flow of the thing’s fetid breath. It stunk of rot. Of Death. But the former Paladin was not moved.

Zarkon curled a lip at the smell then shook his head with resigned certainty. “You are not how I die.” 

The beast huffed a rattling breath. Zarkon’s eyes narrowed. Waited. Moments passed. Then the demon bowed its head subtly and breathed a sound more hiss than voice. 

“The Dreamer has woken,” the shadows began to writhe at the warning, gibbering madness in a thousand whispered tongues as the dark reclaimed its messenger. The beast faded into shadow. Left the broken heart alone again.

**_Our bill has come due._ **

Midnight stretched across an open sky. Stars that once kept time began to fall from the milky band that slithered across its horizon. A massive comet’s tail drowned out the galaxy's edge. Serpent in the sky. The head of the snake came down on the moon in a flash of light and terror.

A cold wind blew over the sea of grass that covered low rolling hills, dark against the glittered sky. Fire flared where the heavens came crashing down. Sirens screamed a primal fear, death of the world, as shadowed figures ran from its light. 

Tall, heavy stones half stood like broken sentries on the hill beyond the fire. Two figures stood watching from the stones. Their features were shadowed in the dark but starlight shone softly on smooth metal, intricate armor with glowing strips of soft blue light.


End file.
